Dad’s Elder Home Care – Telltale Signs It May Be Time To Consider Making A Change

Making the decision to pursue elder home care for either parent is never an easy conclusion to arrive at. But the truth told, your dad will eventually need it someday, and so will you and I. Knowing how to identify when that day arrives could mean the difference between constant worry or a surprise hospital visit.

An excellent resource you should consider reading in this regard is found in the Extra Space blog. It provides vivid details and plausible, sensible suggestions that can help you arrive at a viable conclusion. To jump-start the process, here are a few telltale signs that it may be time to start talking about dad’s long term future.

Messy house: A surefire sign is a suddenly messy home. What once was a clean and welcoming environment that was well organized, but that suddenly falls into uncleanliness, may indicate that your dad is struggling to maintain the status quo.

Empty fridge: How’s dad’s fridge looking? If the shelves are empty, it may be a sign that your father is struggling to go grocery shopping or to cook. Spoiled food is another key sign that shouldn’t be ignored, either.

Hygiene concerns: What’s dad’s hygiene like? Has he given up on shaving? Does it seem like he is struggling to bathe? As we age, things that used to be simple tasks can really become cumbersome, and can lead many of us to overlook or ignore them.

Who is dad hanging out with? Isolation is a major health concern for old Americans, one that’s particularly concerning with single adults. Lack of a social circle may be an indicator that your dad is suffering from depression as a result of isolation.

Is dad still active? Relative to isolation is inactivity. Experts advise that this could be a sign of depression or that it could be related to underlying health or aging issues. Either one is a cause for concern that should be investigated completely by you.

Read a complete breakdown of this in the Extra Space blog, where they deliver a long list of tips and suggestions as well as resources that you can explore, so you can make a well informed decision.

2 comments

How about the treatment of patients, mother or father, in these facilities? My mom has been in two different ones in my area, & though one is slightly better than the other, but not by a long shot! And i read somewhere a while back, that in the past 20yrs. the number of serial killers with a healthcare background, has risen 12%.. This is supposedly an FBI statistic… Are any of our parents safe outside of family care???
Now if you’re thinking “Google” it, be my guest, we did, & both of these facilities were rated 5 out of 5 stars, &
4 1/2 of 5 respectfully. Do the patients cover these ratings? I think not! More than likely, the patients families & sad but true, they don’t have to be in these facilities 24 hrs a day, and not all abuse is physical.. I’ve watched some of these nurses/orderlies etc., literally pick a patient up from their wheelchair by the seat of therir pants, in doing so, giving the patient a “Wedgie” or “”Melvin” in the process. For those that have never heard of a wedgie/Melvin, trust me, they are not comfortable to the groin or buttocks areas, at all. Worse, they have several machines & other
apparatuses to assist them for easy transfer from bed to chair & vice versa.
So again i ask: “Are there any places out there where an elderly, and possibly disabled person can be assured top notch treatment as one would care to be treated if the shoes were on the other feet? As you said : “we all are going to need help of this nature someday….

In our State there are Adult Family Homes that cater to just six residents at a time . Ask around and you will find good options. My Mom has health insurance coverage and a special plan to care for her at home by qualified nursing care. My eldest sister had a stroke and did not have that coverage. She is in an Adult Family Home and well cared for. My son is a health care administrator and his faculty is five star, they really do provide excellent care but it’s in Woodland WA, a family owned operation. However they put most of the profits back into the facility beautifying it , and know everyone there like family. However they are in a small town and larger hospitals and facilities send persons close by to less well operated or caring places. So look for a smaller town, even the employees will be more family oriented. Avoid chains, and stick with mom and pop type operations.